The present invention relates to an electrical connector provided with a shorting terminal.
One example of a connector provided with a shorting terminal is described in JP-11-329604. As shown in FIG. 23 of this specification, a connector has a female housing 7 capable of being fitted into a hood 2 of a male housing 1. A plurality of male terminal fittings 3 protrude into the hood, and a shorting terminal 4 is attached to this hood 2, the shorting terminal 4 connecting a plurality of tabs 3A of the male terminal fittings 3, thereby short-circuiting these male terminal fittings 3. As the two housings 1 and 7 are fitted together, an outer face of the female housing 7 makes contact with the shorting terminal 4. As the fitting progresses, the female housing 7 releases the short-circuiting state of the shorting terminal 4 with the male terminal fittings 3.
In this connector, the shorting terminal 4 is provided in a location where the opening area of the hood 2 of the male housing 1 is greater than the area of a fitting end face of the female housing 7. The entirety of the shorting terminal 4 protrudes towards the exterior of the opening of the hood 2. Consequently, a protecting cover 5 capable of being rocked open and closed is attached resiliently by a spring 6 to an outer face of the male housing 1, this protecting cover 5 covering the open portion of the hood 2 and protecting the shorting terminal 4. A misalignment preventing rib 8 protrudes from an upper face of the female housing 7, this misalignment preventing rib 8 preventing the female housing 7 from being inserted in an inclined state into the hood 2 when the two housings 1 and 7 are fitted together.
In this connector, the misalignment preventing rib 8 is provided on the female housing 7 and the protecting cover 5 is provided on the male housing 1. As a result, the connector has a complex configuration. In particular, the attachment device of the protecting cover 5 requires the spring 6 and other components, and the number of components becomes large. Simplifying this configuration would be desirable.
Furthermore, a jig is used to attach the shorting terminal 4 within the male housing 1 from the anterior via the opening portion of the hood 2. However, the tabs 3A of the male terminal fittings 3 protrude from the innermost portion of the hood 2. Consequently, the jig may interfere with these tabs 3A of the male terminal fittings 3 when the shorting terminal 4 is being attached, thus bending the male terminal fittings 3 in an undesirable manner.
The present invention has taken the above problems into consideration, and aims to rectify them.
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided an electrical connector comprising a first housing provided with a hood, and a second housing insertable in the hood in a fitting direction and to a fully fitted condition, said first housing having a plurality of terminal fittings protruding into said hood, and a resilient shorting terminal having one or more resilient contacts, said shorting terminal being in contact with two or more of said terminal fittings and adapted to be separated therefrom by said second housing on insertion to the fully fitted condition, wherein said first housing further includes a wall at the mouth of said hood and extending into said hood substantially transverse to said fitting direction, said wall overlapping said shorting terminal in a direction transverse to said fitting direction. Such a wall can avoid misalignment on insertion of the second housing into the hood, by making the hood aperture a close fit around the second housing. Furthermore the wall protects the shorting terminal from inadvertent damage, for example during transit.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided an electrical connector comprising a first housing provided with a hood, and a second housing insertable in the hood in a fitting direction and to a fully fitted condition, said first housing having a plurality of terminal fittings protruding into said hood, and a resilient shorting terminal having one or more resilient contacts, said shorting terminal being in contact with two or more of said terminal fittings and adapted to be separated therefrom by said second housing on insertion to the fully fitted condition wherein said first housing includes an insertion aperture for said shorting terminal, said aperture facing outwards in the opposite direction to said hood.
Insertion of the shorting terminal from the rear side ensures that inadvertent damage to the terminal fittings is avoided.